SPOKANE, Wash. (PRWEB) November 17, 2022

It’s not just Santa making a list and checking it twice, but savvy social engineers who are looking for access into secure locations, bank accounts, and holiday plans. We are just around the corner from Black Friday and a wealth of holiday sales that will be asking for data in exchange for unbelievably good prices on surprises. Regretfully for many, the surprises aren’t what they seem to be and the price is not what they’re expecting.

Traditionally, we think the elderly are targeted during the holidays — it turns out that they aren’t the only ones. Recently, the Warren Miller 2022 film event “Daymaker” had its website hacked. Younger, more athletic individuals and families were asked to scan a QR code to register for event prizes during the film showing. Within hours those attendees were seeing fraud on their credit cards. Holiday scams can take all kinds of varying directions, but they center on gathering data during a time of increased activity and less scrutiny by individuals.

Holiday Fraud Is Increasing

In 2021, there was a 25% increase in e-commerce fraud attempts during the holiday season compared with the whole rest of the year, based on TransUnion research. This is a phenomenon that is documented year after year and is steadily increasing. Criminals know that people are rushed and are anxious to get the best deals— which means they will be making quicker decisions. This makes the holiday buying push the ideal time to gather data and launch cyber attacks.

Buying habits in the US during the holidays have continued to evolve, becoming increasingly less in-person and more and more reliant on e-commerce. Statistica reports that in 2020, 61% of holiday purchases were online and in 2021, 57% of purchases were online.

But there’s a danger in that. During the holidays there are more fraudulent websites launched. In fact, one of the ways holiday fraud is tracked is by monitoring the number of malicious shopping websites launched. According to Check Point Research, immediately before the holiday buying season, “an average of 5,300 malicious e-commerce fraud websites emerge each week.” Looking closer at the spike in fraudulent websites, that shows a 178% increase in fraudulent websites compared to other times of the year.

How to Avoid The Grinch

According to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission article [4] on avoiding Holiday giving scams, there are a few key things to look for to be more cyber secure.

• 1. Double check the name of the organization — similar names of organizations can be misleading.
• 2. Make sure you are not rushed — take your time when you are sharing information or specifically giving money.
• 3. If you are in doubt, do more research and ask someone else to look at it.
• 4. Avoid giving when the organization asks for gift cards, cash, cryptocurrency, or money transfers as a way to donate.

Build a Better Community Year Round

There are ways to prepare for the holidays — and both avoid the Grinches and getting on Santa’s naughty list. Tools like Drip7 use mobile microlearning and allow employees to stay fresh with their cybersecurity awareness training year round — and they can do it while waiting for coffee, the elevator, or remotely from home whenever it fits their schedule. “Wherever they go and whatever they do, they can take their training with them and realize it’s not just about what happens at work,” says Drip7 CEO Heather Stratford reminding employers that “Cybersecurity risks happen year round — not just once a year. Even quarterly reminders will be missed. But getting employees engaged daily and keeping security top of mind pays off in the long run.”

“When you make learning fun, you make learning that’s remembered and shared. It’s like viral videos — they get shared because they’re fun and people can relate. When you do this with something important, like staying safe online, you empower employees to take that knowledge home and share it with others.”

Engaging cybersecurity awareness training not only benefits companies but their families and communities. Security doesn’t have to be boring or forgettable. When selecting training platforms choose one that uses modern learning theories, leverages neurochemistry, and builds teams — no matter whether it’s in office, fully remote, or hybrid.

As this season revs up, Drip7 is giving you 14 days of reminders that will keep cybersecurity top of mind. Stay safe this season, and remind your employees, your family, and your friends to slow down and stay aware — of surroundings, of what is being asked, of where you’re inputting your data and of what data you’re giving— so a Grinch doesn’t steal whatever holiday you’re celebrating.

About Drip7

Drip7 is a leading innovator in the field of cybersecurity awareness training and beyond with an easy-to-use, mobile-based platform utilizing microlearning and gamification to increase employee engagement and create behavior change. Drip7 combines the right science and content to produce a superior training platform, from one question or “drip” a day to allowing employees to train when and where they want on their phone or computer, Drip7 engages users with an interactive dashboard, rewards, badges, and more. Included training is focused on cybersecurity and compliance; however, the platform can be customized by a company for any training need. For more information, please visit https://drip7.com/.

[1] https://newsroom.transunion.com/suspected-e-commerce-fraud-attempt-rate-between-thanksgiving-and-cyber-monday-increases-nearly-25-compared-to-the-rest-of-the-year/

[2] https://www.statista.com/statistics/1186198/in-store-vs-online-holiday-shopping-in-the-united-states/

[3] https://securityintelligence.com/news/e-commerce-fraud-up-holiday-shopping/

[4] https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2021/12/make-your-donation-count-avoiding-end-year-charity-scams

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